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the withered, the weedy and the ugly

Just let it go! Why bother! There is nothing you can do! The current state of lawns in San Francisco is one indication of how the drought has affected home owners. San Franciscians have been given a challenge.

“San Francisco’s Ugliest Yard” competition runs through May 15. The SF Dept. of Environment seeks to redefine what an yard can look like.

The New Front Yard in San Francisco

The contest coincides with the launch of the San Francisco Planning Department’s SF Plant Finder, an online database of drought-tolerant plants and trees for gardeners, designers, ecologists and people interested in boosting The City’s biodiversity while saving water.

Just a few pots

Contestants are asked to upload ugly yard photos to the environment departments website or Facebook page with a caption explaining the need for a makeover and share images on social media to gain votes.

Are traffic cones the new plants for side yard?

Just stones

A little creativity in a small space

small, but great

stones and a few plants

Only 4 plants to water

Besides a grand prize makeover, the winners garnering the most votes will earn a consultation and a supply of native plant seeds, and all submissions will receive a packet of native plant seeds.